Metal-covered refrigerator



Feb. 13,1923. m aszw F. J. M. CURRAN METAL, COVERED REFRIGERATOR Filed May '7, 1921 5 sheets-sheet -1 mtwme Feb. 13, 1923. 1i,4r45,299

F. J. M. CURRAN METAL COVERED REFRIGERATOR.

Filed May '7,-l921 5 sheets-sheet 5 W Frank JMGurmra Patented Fee.. is, 192a FRANK J. M. CURRAN, OF GREENVILLE, MICHIGAN.

METAL-COVERED enrnrenaaroa.

Application filed May 7, 1921. Serial No. 467,544.

To all whom itmag concern Be it known that I, FRANK J. M. CURRAN', a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Greenville, "in the county of Montcalm and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Metal-Covered Refrigerators; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the inven-. .tion, such as will enable others skilled in the artto which it appertains to make and use the same. v

This invention relates to refrigerators.

It is primarily concerned with metal coveredrefrigerators, the metal usually being provlded with porcelain coatings baked t ereon on the outer side whereby the refrigerator presents a particularly attractive appearance. By covering the refrigerator with metal, expensive finishing lumber is not needed, nor is the operation of staining and finishing-the outside of the refrigerator casing required. It is a primary object and purpose of the present invention to provide a novel construction of metal covering for refrigerators which may be bent and formed readily to shape, novel corner constructions being provided which are readily welded without warping of the metal and which do so not warp out of shape during the operation of baking the porcelain thereon, together with a novel front construction of pdrcelain covered metal which is not directly joined with thetop and'side covering for there frigerator so as to be liable to break and chip the porcelain at the joining points, but

4 which has abutting contact therewith at different points, the line of separation in all cases being covered and concealed by a novel to covering strip or the like, whereby the outside appearance of the refrigerator is attractive and is not liable to deterioration through chipping of the porcelain at certain points where strain would come in an in- 415 tegral construction. Various other objects and purposes are served at the same time,

particularly with respect to the item of cost of production whiohis lessened very materially by my invention.

) For an understanding of the :invention and the constructions embodying the same,

reference may be had to the following description, taken in coifnection with" the accompanying drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the metal covered refrigerator of my invention, the

doors thereof being removed.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view,

illustrative of the corner formation for the cover of the refrigerator and the method by which it is made. L

Fig. 3 is a plan of the blank used tonmake the top and slde covering for the refrigerator, said blank also covering, when formed, portions of the front and back of.the refri erator.

ig. 4: is an elevation of the remaining front members used for the refrigerator covering at the front.

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the refrigerator covering members in the position which they occupy on the refrigerator when in use, the joint covering devices not being shown. I i Fig. 6 is a fragmentary enlarged horizontal section through a refrigerator made in accordance with my invention, and

Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are perspective views of the various finishing and joint covering members used at the front of the refrigerator. 0

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures of the draw- %l he major portion of the metal covering .is of a single blank of sheet metal having a central section 1 to cover the top of the refrigerator, and two end sections 2 to cover the sides, the line of bending being that indicated at 3 wherebya substantially U- shaped form is made which. will slip downwardly over the outside of therefrigerator. In one edge of this blank two substantially rectangular recesses-or notches 4 are cut connecting with which are arrow shaped notches ,5 located directly at one end ofeach of the lines of bending 3, as shown. The blank, before it is bent into said U-shape is first bent longitudinally along the line 6 so as to position the central portion 7 between the two recesses 4, and the end portions 8 substantially at right angles to the plane of the main body of the blank. Likewise at the opposite edge of the blank, two similar but smaller rectangular recesses 9 are made in 1 the blank, joining with arrow-shaped notches 10 positioned d1rectly. opposite the notches 5 and at the other ends of the fold, 3. The blank is also bent longitudinally along line 11. before folding into U-shape and in 3 .10

the same direction as the parts at the other side edge of the blank, forming a central portion 12 and the end portions 13 lying substantially at right angles to the plane of. the main body of the blank. When the blank is folded into U-s'hape, it is evident that the notches at 5 and 10 close and that the recesses at 4 and 9 are also closed, the inner ends of the parts 8 and 13coming against the under edges of the central sections 7 and 12 at the ends thereof, and the ends of said central sections 7 and 12 abutting againstthe forwardly turned narrow-strips 8 and 13*, as shown at 14 and 15, respectively. These abutting parts are very easily welded and no line of separation will appear at such'lines 14. and 15, an integral effect and actual integral structure being made. The outer sides of the cover thus formed is covered with porcelain, preferably, and the welding lines will be completely covered and obliterated as thus covered. This covering is very easily handled both in the welding and porcelain covering operations, not warpin or cracking under the heating and shrin ing due to the heat treatment necessary therefor.

The cover thus made may be placed over,

from above, the refrigcrator'casing, the top 7 lying against the top of the casing and ends 2 against the ends 16 of said casing. The section or flange 12 and the similar vertical portions 13 come against the back 17 of the casing, while the horizontal down \vardly projecting flange 7 passes in front of the top, the vertical flanges 8 lying against and in. front of the side posts 18 at each side of the refrigerator casing. (See Fig. 6.) At each rear vertical corner of the casing a vertical post 19 is located for connection of the back and ends of the casing thereto and a refrigerator lining 20 is located within the casing between which and the back, sides and'top of the casing, in the spaces at 21,

the usual insulating material and insulating construction is located. The open front side of the refrigerator casin has. a vertical post 22 disposed substantial? the side posts and there is usually a division of the space within the easing into provision compartments 23 and 2 1 and an ice chamber 25, a suitable horizontal cross memberf'being' disposed between the 0st 22 and one ofthe side posts 18 at the ower edge of the ice chamber, a well known and common con struction in refrigerator manufacture. The

' refrigeratoralso is necessarily rovided with abottom, usually set a short istance above the floor.

To cover the front sides of'the post 22, the front edge of the bottom and the cross piece at the lower side ofthe ice chamber three pieces of sheet metal 26, 27 and 28 are used and arranged with respectto each other as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, p1ate*26 being Vertically disposed with its lower end 26. The plate 26 is secured y midway. between 'the other finshing strips,

under ed e of theflange 7 between its ends and the rec end of the plate 28 coming to the edge of the flange 8 at one side of the cover, as shown in Fig. 5. These oints are not welded or otherwise connected, but

the connected plates 26, 27 and 28 are porcelain covered on their outer sides and then placed in position, being secured and the open joints covered by means which will now be described.

At each side of, the refrigerator a metal strip inthe shape of an an le iron is placed, comprising two legs 32 an 31 positioned at right angles to each other, the inwardly extending leg 31 being cut at certain points and the etal left in the same lane with the outside leg 32. In the strip used at the'left-hand side, in Fig. 1, two of the cuts are made in leg 31 to leave two projecting parts 33 which extend over the adjacent free ends of the plates 27 and 28. The leg 31 passes along the inner side of post 18 and is secured thereto by screws or similar At the opposite side only one of the projectin parts 33 is required to cover the freeend of the lower-plate 27. In both cases the outer legs 32over'lap the adjacent portions of flanges 8. At the upper side of the front of the refrigerator, a similar strip is used having an outer leg 32 overlapping ,the edge of the flange 7 and with a central downwardly to cover the free end of the vertical plate to the post 22 by angle ieces having inwardly extending legs 34 lying alongside of the post' at each side and secured by screws, and outer legs covering the edges of the plate as shown in Fig. 1. It is ofcourse apparent that the angle piece must be divided on the side of the post next adjacent the ice chamber, and the upper end of each angle piece has the leg 34 extended, as indicated'at 345. as it passes farther upward than the leg 35 due to the projecting portion 33".

fastenings.

sion compartments angle 1y extending legs 36 and ownwardly extending legs 37 are used, the same belng extended at opposite ends, as indicated at 38 and 39 to make a finished appearance and fit with and the lower sideofthe division between the icechamber andthe provision compartment below'it is projecting portion 33 At the lower sides of the ice chamber and of the r iieces with inwarda likewise finished with a similar strip, merely reversed as to. position. The side edges of all of the plates 26, 27 and 28 are thus covered and secured in lace by metal securing strips which line an border the door openings to the various chambers to the refrigerator, the doors, one of which is shown at 40- covering said finishing strips when in closed position and concealing them from View. The doors are likewise metal covered by a covering 41 which is also porcelained onits outer sides.

The finishing strips may be of any suitable metal finish, burnished, nickel plated, or

otherwise. The construction described is very practical, each of the.. parts to be porcelain covered being of a shape and form making-such process easy without distortion or warping of the same. The free position of the plates 26, 27 and 28 with respect to the remainderof the structure is a valuable feature, there being no strain present or liability to strain and distortion such as would be sure to occur if the same were connected and the same put through a porcelain covering process. The joints between the same are fully covered and out of sight, and the appearance and finish ofthe refrigerator is enhanced rather than diminished. There are no strains to which the completed structure is subjected whichwill cause breaking or chipping of the porcelain. The cost of manufacture is low due to the simplicity of the construction and to the elimination of diflicult problems of porcelain covering.

The appended claims define the invention, and I consider myself entitled to all forms of structure coming within their scope.

I claim:

1. A metal covering for refrigerators, comprising an elongated blank of sheet metal having two rectangular shaped recesses at directly opposite points in the side edges thereof and bent into substantially U-shape on lines extending between said recesses,- and also bent lengthwise thereof on lines set in from the-side edges of the blank a distance lightly greater than the depth of the recesses, the abutting edges of the metal at said recesses being connected by welding, substantially as described.

2. A lnetal covering for refrigerators,

comprising 'an elongated blank of sheet metal having two rectangular shaped recesses in each side edge of the" blank at directly opposite points therein, said recesses having substantially arrow-shaped extensions at their inner portions and adjacent one end, the blank being bent 'into substantially U-shape on lines connecting said arrow-shaped extensions to the recesses,and also bent lengthwise on lines set in from the side edges ofv the blank a distance slightly greater than the depth of, the recesses, the abutting edges of the metal coming together at such recesses when thus bent being connected by welding, substantially as described.

3. A. metal covering for refrigerators comprising a blank of sheet metal bent into substantially U-shape and provided with downwardly and inwardly extending flanges at one side to cover the front side of the top of the refrigerator and the side posts thereof, a flat metal member comprising a vertical plate, a horizontal plate welded thereto at its lower end and a second horizontal plateabove the first plate welded to the vertical plate at one end, said member being located at the front side of the covering between said flanges and in the same plane therewith and disconnected from said flanges, and finishing strips attached to the refrigerator 'lining thedoor openings and covering the open joints between said metal member and the U-shaped member, substantially as described.

4. In combination, a refrigerato'r casing having top, bottom sides and back and an open front, a vertical post disposed between the top and bottom substantially midway between the sides, a cross member disposed between the post and one of the sides above the bottom, a metal covering for the casing of substantially U-shape covering the top and sides and having flanges at its front portion covering the front sides of the top and of the sides of the refrigerator, a metal member comprising a fiat vertical plate, a lower horizontal plate welded between its ends to the lower end of the vertical plate, and a second horizontal plate welded at one end to a side edge of the vertical plate and located above the first horizontal plate, said 'member lying against, the post, the front side of the bottom and said cross member in the same plane with theflanges of the U-shaped covering, and metal finishing strips lining the openings in the front of the refrigerator for securing said metal member in place, covering the open joints between the ends of the plates comprising said metal member and the flanges of the said covering and covering the free edges of said plates making up saidv metal member, substantially as described.

5. A. refrigerator construction containing the elements in combination defined in claim 4, in which said metal finishing members comprise angle members one leg of which extends inwardly into the front openings of the refrigerator and through which fastening devices pass into the refrigerator casing,

the vertical post, and cross member, and the other leg overlaps and covers adjacent edges of the said flanges and said plates making up said metal member, substantially as described.

6. A. refrigerator construction, comprising an inclosing casing having a front open side, partitions or posts dividing said open. side into door openings, a

metal covering for.

' recesses cut in one being bent longitudinally substantially at the casing at the topand sides having flanges projecting over the front of the refrigerator casing to said front opening, a separate metal member lying against the front side of the bottom of the casing and said post and partition, and metal finishing members attached to the refrigerator at the top, bot: tom and sides of said door openings having portions extending over the ed es of said separate metal member and said anges, and covering the open joints between the adjacent portions of said covering andseparate metal member, substantially as described.

7. A covering for refrigerator casings formed from an. elongated blank of sheet metal having two spaced apart rectangular edge thereof, the blank right angles along a line paralleling the and cover the same,

closing with said bending and bringing edges of the metal at said recesses into abutting engagement for welding, substantially as described.

8.,A metal covering for refrigerators comprising two separate metal members adapted to lie against a refrigerator casing metal for securing said members to the casing, covering the open jointsbetween them,

and lining the front door openings to the casing, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix mysignature;

FRANK. J. M. CURRAN. v

and finishing strips of- 7 extending across 'the blank from said recesses,the recesses 

